Many drivers, especially rookies, struggled with the treacherous conditions at the 2025 Australian GP. But none had it worse than newcomer Isack Hadjar, who crashed out of his debut race on the formation lap, leaving him devastated and in tears.
Most of the F1 community sympathized with the 20-year-old, including Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony, who consoled him with a hug in the paddock. It was a move that earned plaudits from all corners. Helmut Marko, however, took a different approach.
Prone to making controversial remarks, the Austrian was blunt in his assessment of Hadjar’s reaction, calling his ‘crying show embarrassing’. Refusing to join the wave of sympathy, Marko once again found himself in the bad books of fans — just days after being accused of making a racist remark against the French-Algerian.
Damon Hill summed up this situation, highlighting the stark contrast between Hamilton Sr. and Marko’s stance toward a young driver’s emotions.
“A shoulder to cry on, and a cold shoulder not to cry on,” Hill wrote on his Instagram story. It was a clear dig at Marko, with the 1996 World Champion suggesting that the Red Bull chief wasn’t going to be as emotionally supportive as others.
Damon Hill posts his perspective on the contrasting responses by Helmut Marko and Anthony Hamilton to Isack Hadjar’s emotional outburst after his Australian GP crash pic.twitter.com/FUMiNQ0Zc3
— Motorsport Fan (@F1IndyWEC) March 18, 2025
Marko’s dismissive behavior wasn’t surprising by any means. He has always been blunt with drivers — whether rookies or seasoned veterans. Of course, this trait hasn’t made him particularly popular, but at 81, he doesn’t seem too concerned about how others perceive him.
Hamilton Sr., on the other hand, understood exactly what Hadjar was going through. Having guided his son Lewis to become a strong individual, he knew that moments of vulnerability required support, not criticism. And that’s exactly what he offered Hadjar — reassurance.
Anthony did what a father would do
Even though the seven-time world champion’s father doesn’t know Hadjar closely, he instinctively comforted the RB driver — because that’s what he would have done as a father to him. Perhaps the 54-year-old saw a young and emotional Lewis in Hadjar, triggering his paternal instincts.
“As soon as I saw what happened to Isack, my heart felt, I just felt for him. It was just so sad to see…,” he said. Having witnessed the immense pressure young motorsport aspirants face, Anthony knew that crashing out on his F1 debut would be a blow to Hadjar’s spirits. And he wasn’t going to let that happen.
“I just wanted to give him a hug, I behaved like a father,” he added.
Marko, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to share any emotional attachment with his drivers. From a professional standpoint, this approach can be effective in F1, where team bosses must be ruthless and decisive — unclouded by emotions in their decision-making.
However, his lack of empathy toward a young driver — at least publicly — he has known well from the Red Bull academy was still surprising. While this saga will likely fade with time, hopefully, Hadjar won’t dwell on Marko’s comments and will instead focus on proving his worth on track.
